Exposing the High Warlock of Brooklyn
by Detour
Summary: An evening in the life of Alec and Magnus, from leaving the office to a dinner party that doesn't go quite as anyone had planned. Thank goodness. Eventually the rest of the squad finds out the truth behind the new (temporary) High Warlock of Brooklyn and Alec's unintentionally created legion. But not before our boys start a mildly inappropriate competition in public.


_aka "Wicked, Wonderful Smiles"_

_When the rest of the squad learns the bizarre truth. Eventually. It got a little out of hand._

_Now somewhat AU given the events of 3x16 and after, this continues the world in the previous work "Saving the High Warlock of Brooklyn," taking place roughly two days after the end of Saving._

_Also, in regard to the recently-aired 3x18, WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO US?_

* * *

Alec believed in the open-door policy he had instituted.

It was useful in ways beyond his original expectations. When his people felt they could speak to him in a quiet, one-to-one situation, he learned more. More about problems in logistics, scheduling concerns, ideas for improvements on everything from training sessions to cafeteria food, problems Shadowhunters had been experiencing with the Clave at large, issues with Downworlders that they didn't want to put on record, even more about personal matters that affected job performance.

Alec hated the open-door policy he had instituted.

People came in all the time. _All the time._ He spent one demoralizing day counting the minutes between each interruption during the hours he spent in his office. Average time alone between staff visits to work on administrative matters – four minutes in the morning, six minutes in the afternoon. The only time it got quiet was after five, when the shift changed and more people were out on the streets patrolling.

Hard to focus on the endless incident reports the Clave insisted on if he couldn't even finish writing a paragraph without interruption.

Today was the first day he hadn't been called into the field for an emergency or a short-handed situation in a week, but he had made almost zero progress on the endless mound of paperwork that had overtaken his desk.

He growled when an alarm went off on his phone.

Grabbing it roughly, he thumbed through to see "Preparation" pop up as a 6pm alarm.

Preparation?

He looked at his work schedule; no meetings.

Scanned down through his phone calendar and found several more entries:

6:20 – No really, time to get fancied up

6:30 – Don't get mad, I love you

6:45 – You'll feel better if you take a shower before we go

7:00 – Extra few minutes in case we get distracted by the shower

7:30 – Party at Maryse's

Though his mind was thinking about the security breach it must surely be for Magnus to have figured out the password to his phone, his thumb was tracing over "I love you" on the smooth, clear glass screen.

He quickly finished the staff schedule he was working on and debated if he could really abandon the rest of his office tasks as his phone alarm went off again.

6:20.

His hand hovered over a requisition form.

His head throbbed. He didn't want to go to his mother's housewarming party.

He didn't want to do anything.

He wanted to do precisely nothing.

In days past, he would have stayed here, working until he passed out.

He slowly placed the pen he was holding on the desk, stood, and backed away. It made him anxious to leave when there was so much left to be done, but he couldn't finish it all, and his progress was slowing the longer he tried.

His phone went off again.

6:30.

Don't get mad, I love you.

He left.

* * *

Magnus had half an eye on the clock as he got ready for the party. Granted, he took far longer to get ready than Alexander even with his magic back, but surely at least thirty minutes was standard prep time for everyone?

Though not yet finished dressing for the evening, he swirled his robe around his shoulders, resolving to march down to Alec's office and drag him out.

In person, it wasn't so hard to…persuade…Alexander to leave work in the evenings. But Magnus was trying to be cognizant of his presence at the Institute and appear less in the public spaces while he looked for a place for the two of them to move into.

The two of them. Head ducking, he smiled.

Who would have thought, back when this whole thing started with one glance at the club?

He turned to leave just as Alexander walked into their room. Eyes bruised and shadowed, face looking gaunt, he mustered a mostly-real smile as he closed the door behind him and made a beeline for Magnus, nuzzling the warlock's jawline as a hello.

It still took Magnus by surprise how quickly Alexander had taken to frequent displays of physical affection, especially when they were away from other Shadowhunters.

Magnus reached out to run his fingers through dark hair, using a trace of magic as he did to pull the pain and tension out of the other man's scalp.

"Shower?" Magnus asked, leading his boyfriend towards their thankfully private bathroom.

With a slow, wide grin, Alec repeated, "Shower?" as he unwrapped the other man's robe.

Magnus swatted his hands away. "Sorry, no time right now. Save it for later."

"Hey, you're the one who built in a half an hour for shower distraction time!"

"Yes, but that was this morning when I was sated, and before you were running late. There's not enough time left to be anything but frustrating." Neatly stepping around his Shadowhunter, Magnus examined the outfits he had laid out for himself.

He may have lost his apartment, but at least he had his magic back. Access to his interdimensional storage unit, including most of his clothes, was a necessity for nights like these.

Alexander grumbled but wandered off to shower, gruff as a bear, leaving the door to the bathroom open as he undressed and stepped under the steaming spray, a not-so-small revenge to Magnus' time decrees.

"I might have a little something for you," Magnus called out loud enough to be heard over the running water.

The shower stall door popped open in invitation.

"Not what I meant."

The shower stall door clinked shut.

Magnus snorted a little laugh to himself. Why was minor petulance in a tall, well-muscled man so attractive at times?

Maybe because even petulance seemed like a luxury Alexander rarely allowed himself.

Speaking of luxury…he ran his hand over his gift, oddly nervous to offer it.

The man was picky as hell.

Shower shutting off (how he could take a five-minute shower, Magnus would never understand), Alec called out, "What, then?"

"You don't have to like it."

"That's good to know. Do I get to know what it is?"

"I got you a shirt."

"Oh," Alexander's head popped around the edge of the bathroom door, toothbrush cocked at an angle out of the corner of his mouth. "You know I'm never going to like sparkly stuff on me, right?"

"Never say never," Magnus muttered under his breath before continuing at a normal volume, "It's not exactly sparkly. More like…a little bit of shimmer."

"Hmm," was all Alec said as he finished with his teeth and stepped out to see this shimmery shirt, his only cover a loosely-wrapped towel around his waist.

Magnus was not sure if this was more revenge or not – he found it hard to process thoughts the closer Alexander's bare chest got. He reached a hand out towards his boyfriend as he neared, but had his own smacked away with a raised eyebrow.

Definitely revenge.

They stared at each other for a moment, daring the other to start something, before Alec all-too-reasonably said, "The shirt?"

"Hmfph. Yes. Well. Here it is. As I said, you don't have to like it." He proffered a silk-like simple button-down that seemed to shiver between dark blue, gray, and black, not sure what reaction it would get.

Alexander reached out and rubbed the cuff between his thumb and forefinger, then looked directly into Magnus' eyes, as so few people ever had, and smiled.

This part was not revenge, but Magnus was suffering mightily.

"I actually really like it. Thanks, Magnus."

Sometimes Alexander expressed concerns that he felt he was not a good communicator – not good at apologies, at affection, at expressing gratitude. Magnus, however, felt that these simple statements accompanied by a true Alexander smile held all the power in the world.

Clearing his throat as though that would prevent him from jumping Alec, Magnus stumbled through, "Yes, well, with the gray pants, I thought?"

"Sure," Alec readily agreed, taking both with him and turning to go back to the bathroom, presumably to attend to the 60 seconds per day he spent on his hair.

Not that he needed to spend more than that. It was just the principle of the thing.

There was oddly awkward silence for a moment before Alexander spoke up in his rarely-used hesitant tone of voice from the other room. "Actually, I have something for you as well. That I've been meaning to give you. If you're interested."

Magnus' head snapped up. "I am interested. I am very interested."

Alec walked out of the bathroom which provided an oddly contradictory moment, as he was now fully dressed which was disappointing, but on the other hand he looked damn fabulous. He walked over to his desk but looked over at Magnus, hesitating.

"Why are you being adorable? What did you do?" Magnus approached him, gaze intent.

Alexander twisted his left wrist with his right hand as he clearly debated his next move, then pulled himself up straight and dusted off his hesitancy. He opened a desk drawer, pulling out a small black pouch and offering it to Magnus.

It took everything in his power not to snatch it like a hungry dog after a treat, but take it gently.

Vastly enjoying this moment, he fingered the pouch, jiggled it, weighed it in his hand.

"I noticed you've been carrying around the omamori I gave you and figured it might be getting a little ragged."

"It's not ragged, it's wonderful." Magnus put a protective hand to the pocket the charm was currently tucked into.

Gaining confidence but still a little nervy, Alexander continued, "Izzy is a great weaponsmaster but once upon a time my parents considered that a possible career for me as well."

"You got me a weapon?"

"No, but there's a lot of metalwork in weaponsmaster classes." He shifted uncomfortably. "Izzy helped me a little, but in the end I gave up on the design the omamori has, the Japanese characters were harder than runes. But if you look at this at different angles, there's still some meaning built in."

Puzzled, Magnus finally opened the pouch, spilling out a silver amulet on a black cord.

At first glance it was a beautiful eddy of silver strands, all connected but in what looked like an artistically random grouping of swirls and whorls. As he turned it over and over, however, he found the hints of letters from their names, the shape of a heart, the suggestion of a healing rune, the outline of the omamori's Japanese character for luck.

It was disturbingly masterful.

Magnus was coming to rely on Alexander's presence for harmony in his life. Despite all the drama their lives seemed to produce, everything felt smoother and calmer when they were together.

That said, Alexander was also capable of rocking the boat so hard Magnus felt he was free falling down a whirlpool with no bottom.

Concernedly, Alec repeated Magnus' earlier words, "You don't have to like it. Really, I won't be offended. I can just melt it down and –" he reached to take the necklace back.

Magnus closed his hand around the amulet and snatched his entire arm back.

Startled, Alec finally looked him straight in the eye again.

Whatever he saw there snapped his confidence back into place. "Or, I could put it on you," he said with a bit of swagger.

Somewhat reluctant to let it go even for a second, Magnus proffered the bit of silver in an open hand and turned around so Alexander could fasten it around his neck. From there, he could see the two of them in the full-length mirror. Even among the other necklaces he wore, even amidst the resplendence he saw when he viewed the two of them standing together, the silver pendant stood out. It seemed to glow of its own accord, though he felt no magic in it.

It was magic of its own sort.

"I wanted you to have a gift that would last longer than a paper charm. One that could last forever," Alexander said softly, still behind Magnus but looking him in the eye through the mirror.

They were late to the party.

* * *

It was a small party, just family really – if one used a more expansive concept of family. Jace, Clary, Luke and Izzy were already there when Magnus and Alec arrived.

Alec followed Magnus into the house and smothered a smile as he realized the back of Magnus' hair was beyond mussed.

Pride moment.

Tonight was as much a celebration of Luke's release from jail and Magnus' return from near-death as it was a housewarming for Maryse's new brownstone and the mood was giddy with relief, but also rife with awkwardness.

With all the drama of the past few months, they weren't used to spending calmer times as a group like this, without a demon to fight or crisis to avert.

Alec could see the awkwardness in how Jace and Clary sat near each other, drifting closer but jerking farther apart every few seconds. In how Izzy wandered from person to person but couldn't quite settle. In how his mother treated them like guests instead of family. In how Luke started passing out drinks like he lived there and then looked at Maryse, as if to say, "Crap, do they even know I'm staying here, too?"

Of course they knew.

But they never talked about any of it.

To this day, even with an improved relationship with his mother, Alec hadn't managed to pull her into a conversation about her divorce from his father.

What disturbed him most about the atmosphere of this "party" was that he didn't think he would have recognized the awkwardness of it all a year ago.

His biggest cue was Magnus, who was being quiet and polite and not touching anyone or anything. It was the warlock's best Institute behavior, when he knew Alec didn't want their relationship paraded around at work.

It felt so very wrong. Especially here. There may be other Shadowhunters in the room, but this was supposed to be family, not Clave business.

Alec caught Jace's eye from across the room, made a little hand gesture indicating to his parabatai to follow his lead.

Shrugging, Jace nodded.

Alec took the stick out of his spine (others might say ass) and shook off the mantle of responsibility he felt most of his waking hours (and some of his dreaming hours as well). His posture relaxed subtly, his facial features became less harsh, his hands came out from being clasped loosely behind his back, and he let his eyes seek out Magnus, sitting nearby on a large red sofa, a proper distance away.

He sat next to his warlock, let his left hand follow his gaze and slid his palm up the other man's arm, cupping the back of his neck for a moment, fingers spreading up into his hair, then extended his arm out further and slung it over Magnus' shoulders, connecting them.

He left his arm there.

It was not a racy gesture. It was something he'd done a hundred times before, not just in private but in restaurants and shops and galleries around the world. Even at warlock gatherings.

But somehow, never in front of his family.

Each and every one of them – including Magnus – froze for a second at his almost-intimate movement, then returned to their stilted conversation.

He set his drink down for a moment, used his right hand to again make the sign to Jace – follow my lead.

For a former lothario, Alec felt Jace's next move lacked the smoothness of his own, but his parabatai did abruptly reach out and grab Clary's hand, pulling it to his knee and leaving their hands there, clasped.

Another beat of silence.

Luke caught on, though he decided on a different tactic. "So you all know I'm staying here with Maryse now, right?"

Silence again.

Alec detangled from Magnus and stood, crossing the room to stand directly in front of Luke.

Everyone waited.

Alec could have nodded and walked away, or reached out to shake Luke's hand. It would have diffused the tension and let Luke and his mother know they didn't have to be nervous.

But Alec didn't want to be the good son here, the good leader, the good Shadowhunter. He wanted to be the version of himself he was when he was with Magnus.

He liked that part of himself.

"So you're telling me," he said softly, eyes shuttered, "that you're living with my mother? Presumably in a relationship with my mother? Sleeping with my mother?"

Luke recoiled, not expecting what he was getting. He looked over at Maryse, who had a warning look on her face. "Alec, it's none of your concern, just –"

"I asked the werewolf," he rudely spoke over her.

Werewolf was not a pejorative word in their world, but Luke flinched regardless. Losing the look of concerned confusion, his face grew hard. "Yes, I am telling you that," he said straight to Alec's face.

Alec rested both hands on Luke's shoulders, feeling the other man's muscles ripple underneath, ready for whatever came.

Alec leaned in, close.

"It's about damn time."

He wrapped an arm around Luke and pulled him in for a brief man-hug, then turned around to walk back to the sofa, dropping down next to Magnus and throwing an arm around him again.

Magnus' mouth twitched.

Jace and Clary still hadn't moved.

Izzy smiled and sipped her drink.

Maryse looked at Luke, who said with wide eyes, "Well, ok then. Let's have a party."

With that, the worst of the awkwardness disappeared.

* * *

Magnus recognized the courage it had taken for Alec to drop his Shadowhunter mode and start acting in a fashion closer to how they behaved at home.

If for one moment he though Alexander was putting on an act when they were together, he would be horrified. But he didn't believe the Shadowhunter or the boyfriend aspects of Alec were acts. They were just two rather harshly separated aspects of one amazing man.

So he knew how vulnerable this move may have made Alexander feel.

What he didn't quite know was why he felt the need to poke the bear.

Now that Alec was touching him a little, smiling a little in reaction to what others were saying, Magnus wanted to push the envelope. He wanted the full-on cuddly moments he was used to when they were away from the shadow world, the big doofy grins he felt sure only he ever got to see.

He was a selfish bastard.

If he waited just a few more hours, they'd be home alone together and he'd have everything he wanted.

But he wanted it now.

And maybe, just a little, he wanted them to see the softer part of Alexander that he wasn't sure they knew at all.

For them to get to know their family member better, yes.

And maybe, just a tiny bit, so they might realize what they had neglected nurturing all these years.

He tried to reign himself in, he really did. At first it was just small things, probably appropriate to the level of relaxation Alexander had just started among the group.

When Alec pulled him closer, Magnus leaned into him.

Then he let a hand stray to Alec's knee and stay there.

Or slightly higher.

But then Alexander borrowed Magnus' drink to try a sip and, handing the negroni back with a pulled face indicating dislike, Magnus found he couldn't help but lick the glass where Alec's lips had touched before taking another sip himself.

That, Alec definitely noticed, though it didn't seem anyone else did.

Alexander's eyes narrowed.

That was a problem.

Because now that Alec knew about this little difficulty Magnus was having, it became a game.

And they both liked games.

Competition – of a healthy, mostly friendly sort – tended to act as an aphrodisiac on them.

So it only encouraged Magnus' further bad behavior.

He ran a finger around the rim of his glass, then touched it to the tip of his tongue.

Alexander shifted slightly on the couch, their legs now pressed up against each other.

Mangus set his drink down and, with thumb and forefinger, rubbed the corners of his mouth, then lightly pinched and ran his fingers down his lower lip until they met.

Alec had once told him he did that every time Jace interrupted them kissing back when Jace had been staying with Magnus.

And that the unconscious gesture had driven Alec crazy every single time.

As Alexander started leaning in closer, Magnus popped up off the couch, offering to get refills. He glided around the room with fanciful steps, twirling unnecessarily.

Mangus noted that Alec dropped out of the conversation, eyes following his drink-dance.

Point.

Maryse, who had been much quieter than was her norm, spoke up as she rose, "Well I should check on dinner. Be right back."

"Do you need help?" Alec offered.

Everyone groaned.

"Hey, you all shut up. I'm better than the both of them," he retorted and gestured at Izzy and Jace.

"That's not really saying much," said an apologetic Clary, drawing a hurt look from Jace.

"Magnus, tell them I'm getting better."

Considering his options before he replied, Magnus chose, "I can one hundred percent truthfully confirm you are getting better…"

Izzy booed.

Magnus continued, "…at your knife skills."

The group laughed and Alexander put on his serious face, slicing the side of his hand through air in a choppy motion towards the warlock.

It had become his symbol for "Magnus, don't flirt with me right now, I mean it."

Or, in other words, Magnus was winning the game.

Before either of them could make another move, Alexander's phone buzzed in his pocket.

A little crestfallen that the night's entertainment was likely over, Mangus backed off as Alec checked the text.

Surprisingly, his Shadowhunter's face brightened and Alexander typed a fast reply while jogging to the front door. "Be right back!"

Everyone turned to Magnus as Alec left the house with no explanation. "Don't look at me, I have no idea."

Trying not to be concerned, Magnus was very close to heading out in pursuit when Alexander strolled back in, a grin on his face and Madzie on his hip.

The little girl started to reach out to Magnus, then realized how many people were in the room and sheltered against Alec, faced turned to his chest as Alec wrapped his free hand around her hair, trying to make her feel protected.

It was awfully damn cute.

Alexander walked straight over to Magnus first. "I asked Catarina earlier if we could have her for a couple hours tonight. Wasn't sure it was going to work out but…" Madzie reached out to give Magnus a hug, then pulled them both in so she was supported by and surrounded by the two of them.

Alec looked up with the open, easy smile that still melted Magnus' heart when it made its rare appearances, and offered to the room at large, "I hope you guys don't mind, I know we didn't say anything about bringing extra guests, but… Mother, this is Madzie."

Right. Maryse had never met the girl before.

Did she even know about her?

Clary unfroze first. "Hi Madzie. I really like your pretty purple scarf."

Madzie turned into Alec's chest again. Alec, in turn, smiled down at her with a countenance Magnus suspected none of the others in the room had ever seen before.

Angelic look still in place, Alexander leaned over to Magnus, kissed his cheek, and whispered softly, "Point."

Magnus couldn't help it, he snort-laughed. Inelegant, but sometimes you just can stop the good old snort-laugh.

Continuing as though nothing had happened, Alec bounced the girl up higher on his hip. "You remember Clary, right Madzie?" The girl nodded. "And Jace next to her. Izzy and Luke over there. And this," he gestured, "is my mother, Maryse."

From the look on her face, Magnus surmised that not only had she not met Madzie before, she had no idea who this was or what significance to take from it.

She may have created this situation herself, but Magnus felt for her. It couldn't be easy realizing you knew next to nothing about your children's lives.

What happened next, though, was infinitely worse.

A knock at the door startled them all. Who else could it be, unless –

Izzy walked to the door, a big smile on her face. "I arranged my own little surprise."

Alec and Jace groaned. "Come on, we called no Simon tonight."

She glared at them a second before opening the door to reveal Max.

He jumped to hug her in the doorway, then energetically bounced into the room and ran straight for Alexander, who quickly went down to one knee, Madzie on one side and his other long arm clamped around his youngest brother, picking them both up for a moment and spinning around before going back down to one knee on the ground.

Max laughed gleefully, a sound heard less and less frequently out of the maturing young Shadowhunter, who patted Madzie on the shoulder and sidestepped over to Magnus and gave him a proper hug as well, whispering far too loudly, "The back of your hair is super messed up."

Hmm. No wonder Alexander had been so sprightly as they came in.

He eyed his boyfriend.

Perhaps the game had started before he realized it this evening.

Max, meanwhile, had made his way over to Jace.

Maryse stood quietly, alone, waiting for her turn.

It was obvious from how the boy interacted and chattered that he spent a lot of time with Izzy, Alec, Jace and Magnus. Max wasn't ignoring Maryse, he just simply hadn't gotten to her yet in his hierarchy of importance.

Magnus found look on her face to be heartbreaking, though she was trying to hide it. He gave her major kudos for waiting silently rather than trying to insert herself in Max's joy.

Alec gave up on decorum and sat down on the floor with Madzie in his lap, both of them pulling Magnus down to join them.

For a second he forgot the game, forgot the room, and focused solely on kissing the corner of Madzie's eyebrow until she relaxed enough to giggle, then both he and the adorable sprite leaned up to kiss Alexander – Madzie the underside of his jaw and Magnus straight on the lips.

The flare from earlier in the night blew up as their lips touched, and they both pulled apart reluctantly.

Right.

Game on.

They smiled at each other, wicked, wonderful smiles.

Magnus was awfully close to getting what he wanted. Alexander was definitely showing a side of himself that Magnus worried this group never saw.

Someone else should see it, know about it. His mind turned dark for a moment. Someone else should mourn it, if something should happen to take this joy away.

Or the man.

He shook off the doom-thoughts and caught an actual sparkle from Alec's eye as he started some silly pantomiming game with Madzie. The shadows in his eyes and harsh lines of his face from earlier that evening were gone, he looked healthy and happy.

Virile.

Hmm.

Max slammed into them, pretending to be a shark or some such – Magnus wasn't following the energetic game – and the four of them toppled over companionably to the rug below, a tangled mess of limbs.

Laughing, Magnus righted himself but before he could pull Max up beside him, he spotted Maryse quietly leave the room and go into the kitchen, head down.

Yes, it was a situation of her own making. But he did still feel for her.

Putting a hand each on Alec and Max's heads, he levered himself up to his feet with an, "I'll be right back," and went to the kitchen to see if he could be of service.

Probably bright and airy in the sunlight, the red and white kitchen felt dim and empty in its stillness compared to the lively noises coming from the next room.

Maryse's head was bent over a large sauce pot as she stirred slowly.

"Can I help? I promise not to touch anything you don't want me to." Too late, he realized he should have specified he meant only in her kitchen.

She looked over at him and he was grateful to see no tears. They may be getting along for the first time in their acquaintance but he wasn't quite ready for that.

"I'm happy to help if it will let you get back to the party faster," he offered again.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure they need me in there."

He shrugged, uninterested in lying. "Maybe they don't. But that doesn't mean you're not welcome. You have to start somewhere."

She frowned, lost in thought. "Who is Madzie to Alec? Will you tell me?"

Magnus nodded one slow nod, "It's a bit of a story. The shorter version is that Madzie and Alec already have an oddly long history of saving each other's lives. My good friend Catarina has become Madzie's guardian, and we spend a lot of time with them when we can."

Maryse nodded, satisfied enough for now, but Magnus felt uncomfortable with his half-truth, and went further. "She recently claimed us as her fathers at a warlock gathering."

That got a much more animated – and shocked – reaction. "But that's just the pretend game of a child – right?"

A slow shake of his head. "Not exactly. Warlock children, as orphans, are quite often allowed to choose their own parents. And Madzie is, generally, a very serious young lady, and a little older than she looks. Cat is her main parent, but we are…still working out exactly how to be a family."

He waited a moment for a response, but none came, so he tried humor. "Surprise! It's a girl!"

She put her hand to her forehead and sighed.

Well, worth a shot.

"Magnus, I spent twenty years trying to be the perfect Shadowhunter. It never occurred to me at the time that the perfect Shadowhunter is not the perfect parent. I'm still trying to figure out how to do this."

"How to do what, exactly?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. How to see them for the people they are rather than for their fighting skill and political value. How to reconcile Alec the archer and Alec the leader with Alec making fish faces on the floor with – with a girl who may be his daughter who I've never even met before. It's…" she trailed off.

"Overwhelming?" he offered. "You don't have to know right now. You don't need to know exactly what you want or what you need to do to get there. Just the next step."

She moved away, pulling a large turkey from the oven. "Serving dinner is the next step."

"Then you know where you're headed. Just get there, then figure out the next step, one at a time. You may be dancing with the Lightwood heirs before you realize it."

They offered small smiles to each other.

"I really hate making gravy. Can you conjure gravy?"

"I can and I shall," Magnus puffed up for fun, putting on an unnecessary show of light as he borrowed a bit from a restaurant from Soho that Alexander liked.

"Thank you, Magnus," she offered almost stiffly. "Magnus…"

"Yes?"

"Could you tell me something about him? Something I should know? Something that's not a secret, I'm not asking you to break trust for me."

Maryse Lightwood asking the former High Warlock of Brooklyn for tidbits of her son's life. How the times change.

Magnus considered and discarded hundreds of details. This one too intimate, that one too hard to explain. Some too general, some he had no words for. Finally, he settled on a story that was more his than Alexander's, as it seemed fairer to share. "Sometimes, I have nightmares. Being without my powers, losing Ragnor, almost dying at in Valentine's body, being back in Edom, seeing…seeing horrible things, unable to do anything, protect anyone. It's no secret I've had people share my bed before, and I thought I knew the gamut of reactions. People who flee in case my magic goes awry in real life while I try to defend myself in the dream. Those who reassure you everything's ok, it's just a dream, nothings real. Those who try to slap you out of it, those who insist you have to talk about it to make the nightmares lose their potency. Maybe a dozen other iterations.

"In hundreds of years, Alexander is the only one who learned quickly that it's worse to wake me during those nightmares. The aftermath is less if they play out, painful as they may be. He learned that someone speaking into my ear as I come out of one makes me think I'm being attacked. That trying to embrace me leaves me feeling claustrophobic, even though I know full well that's what he wants to do."

He paused, not sure how to explain the significance of the next part.

"So, instead, he waits. I don't know how long they last, but he waits until the dream is over. And when I start to wake up, he links his little finger with mine." Magnus held up a pinky, wiggled it. "Just links the two little fingers. That's it. I can feel him vibrating, wanting to do something to make It better, wanting to say something, but he learned this helps me more. So he does it. Silently. Sometimes night after night after night.

"I think he would stay like that all night if he thought it was helping me. Quiet, pent up, restraining himself, watchful, protecting. I've never had anyone so thoroughly _show_ me that they cared."

He turned from the bread he found he was cutting to look at Maryse. "I'm not sure that's what you meant, but that's my story to tell, and one I think a mother might be proud of."

Maryse nodded and surprised him by approaching to give him a hug. "Thank you. I'll remember."

Clearing his throat, Magnus smiled and cast a glance around the room, looking for another task.

"Could you get Luke to come in and start hauling everything to the dining table?"

"Nonsense," Magnus scoffed, and flicked a hand to surround the prepared food with magic, opening the door to float the stately feast to the table.

He considered adding some table decoration but decided it might be in poor taste to do without invitation.

Turning to alert the crew dinner was about ready – in case they had somehow missed his little show – he paused suddenly enough that Maryse ran into him from behind. Magnus did not particularly notice, his eyes were locked on Alexander who was demonstrating some kind of wrestling hold on Jace for Max's presumed edification, but it looked more like roughhousing than real instruction. Alec's hair was a disaster, his shirt was rucked most of the way up his torso, his strong archer fingers maneuvering to hold Jace's head in a lock, his eyes flashing in competition.

Somehow Madzie's purple scarf was tied jauntily around his Shadowhunter's neck, and she stood to the side, hands on hips, warning Jace not to damage it.

Max piled onto his two brothers, trying to get a hold on either of them, but he was too tiny, far too small to be a runed Shadowhunter, in Magnus' opinion. The three brothers tumbled like a cartoon for a moment, over and under each other, Jace and Alec contorting themselves to ensure their full weight never came down on Max's smaller form.

Alexander took an elbow to the stomach and whuffed out a breath, happening to look over towards Magnus as he took a beat to regain his breath.

As their eyes met, Magnus felt frozen.

Happy Alexander.

His drug of choice.

Rather unconsciously, he took a step towards his boyfriend.

Alec, holding their gaze, stopped participating in his brothers' wrestling. Jace saw the reason, rolled his eyes and regained a kneeling position, trying to entice Izzy to join the fray in place of Alec.

Magnus poked the bear again. "And I thought you were cute when you were serious..." His words were not so damning, but he made no effort to hide the lust in his eyes.

What happened next might have made more sense if it were fast, immediate, but it was not.

Alexander rose to his feet slowly, never breaking the connection between their eyes.

Magnus let the tension shiver the air between them for a few moments, then pushed again. He pointed towards himself, then mouthed silently, "Point."

Alexander snapped. Or made a decision. Or gave in. What did it matter, when the end result was Alec stalking toward Magnus in a straight line, stepping on the couch and then flipping it on its back with his foot as he continued his measured march forward.

Directly towards Magnus.

Magnus did not move.

That wasn't part of the game.

The game he was pretty sure he just won.

This might not be the cuddly, softer side of his Shadowhunter he had hoped might come out tonight, but part of him liked this just as much.

Or better.

Magnus' stomach dropped into his groin in the most delicious way when it appeared Alec was not going to stop himself.

Alexander grabbed Magnus' shirt with both hands as he approached and pushed Magnus back, one step, two steps, three – until he pinned him to the wall. Hovering, Alec arched over him, breathing fast, their chests pressed together.

Magnus made an involuntary noise and tried to move the minute distance to meet Alexander's lips, but his boyfriend shadowed him, moving with him, their lips remaining a hairsbreadth apart.

Alexander's breath was growing ragged. He ghosted his head towards Magnus' ear and, head hiding the exactness of his movement, blew on Magnus' ear before he softly said, "Point."

Really, the laughter started there.

Magnus could feel his abdomen tighten with it. It hasn't hit is face yet. If they had had just another minute, he may have squashed the laugh down and captured the other man's mouth as he so desperately wanted to do. Alec himself was close to doing the same, unable to move away now that he had Magnus pinned, obviously struggling to hold himself apart.

Unbeknownst to them, Jace and Max had righted the couch and moved it perpendicular to the enmeshed couple, then with a single powerful move sent it sliding across the smooth floor a few feet until it hit Alec in the back of the knees, tumbling him backward onto its plush surface.

Unable or unwilling to separate, Magnus fell with him, on top of him. Alec landed firmly, hands wrapping around Magnus to make sure he didn't bounce off.

"Well that was graceful," Luke's voice drifted from afar.

Izzy answered, a shrug in her voice, "Shadowhunter." As if that explained it all.

Magnus' entire body was electrified, contoured to Alexander's, but at these unintentionally significant words the laughter that had been brewing in their guts crept upwards.

Magnus shoved his face in the crook of Alexander's neck, the side of his head pressing into the back of the couch, hiding as his body started to shake.

Alec, startled and befuddled, held him in place and likely would have made it through the next few minutes relatively straight-faced if not for Jace's next words.

"Come on, Max, let's help set the table. I'm hungry, and you know how these two get."

Magnus would cherish that evening for as long as he lived.

For the moment Alexander Lightwood lost his shit and laughed so hard from so deep down in his belly that he couldn't even produce noise.

For several minutes.

That he did so from underneath Magnus, holding onto him while the warlock gave in to a similar fit of nearly-painful silent laughter, was icing on the best cake in the world.

The both had won this round.

* * *

Alec was torn between annoyance at himself for letting his little competition with Magnus go so far in front of others tonight, and bone-deep relief that no one seemed to care overmuch that it had happened.

The idea that he could finally _relax_ around these people who were supposed to be family was so utterly alluring, he was afraid to trust that it might be true.

Magnus magicked in a special chair for Madzie so she would be able to reach the dinner table easily and hastily set it between their own two chairs. The two of them needed to avoid touching each other for the near future.

And maybe avoid looking at each other.

Stalking his boyfriend and pushing him up against a wall and then laughing like a moron for ten minutes was embarrassing enough; if Magnus had had his way, they'd be a lot more…exposed…than they already had been.

And they were still close to it.

Wrenching his mind away from that pitfall, he focused on the conversation around him as they all sat down to eat.

"Why are we having both turkey and spaghetti?" Jace asked, cluelessly impolite.

A little color rose in Maryse's cheeks. "Just trying to recreate each of your favorites."

Alec looked around and indeed did see the turkey Max favored, the spaghetti he himself had loved as a child, the potatoes and gravy Jace could eat pounds of, and the baked cheesy corn dish Izzy had hoarded in her younger years.

It was a nice gesture, and a lot of work. He offered his mother a nod when she glanced over at him, and she smiled, pleased, and said, "I'm thinking about having a soft opening for the bookstore this Wednesday night, in case any of you are free. Just a few people to see how it goes."

"What time?" Izzy asked.

"Sevenish?"

Jace and Clary looked at each other and nodded, Izzy said, "I'm in," and Luke said nothing, because it seemed implied he would be there regardless.

Alec and Magnus looked at each other, and Magnus spoke up, "We have a prior engagement already I'm afraid, but it may not run long. We'll definitely try to be there."

It was a mistake for Alec to let Magnus speak up and to dart his own eyes down at filling Madzie's plate with what he thought she would eat. Jace picked up on it right away, eyes laser focused, and Izzy followed the same suspicion a second later.

"Really, big brother," she poked, "I didn't see anything on your schedule."

"It's nothing," Alec started, when Madzie – suddenly no longer shy with this group, piped up.

"Can we go to the bookstore, after?"

A huge, fake smile on his face, Jace asked, "Oh, are you going the same place as Alec Wednesday, Madzie?"

She nodded. "Me and Catarina, of course."

Though Izzy and Jace would have continued pressing, Alec was saved by his mother, who abruptly switched the conversation. Alec worried she was upset at the idea he was choosing one version of family over another, but left it alone as the truth would not have helped.

"What's your favorite topic in your classes right now, Max?" she asked a little tightly.

He pondered a minute, mouth full of turkey. "We're doing a roundup of the major institutes right now. The differences historically and in the current political climate. It's actually really interesting."

The Shadowhunters at the table sat up at attention, also interested.

"Anything of particular note about the New York Institute I should be aware they're saying?" Alec inquired.

"A lot of it is history, the old war with Valentine and the more recent one. But we were doing a module of statistics and there was an odd figure. The New York Institute currently has a higher rate of Shadowhunters requesting transfers to different institutes than any other, by almost double."

Alec's jaw clenched. He knew some of the old-timers who had requested to get out, had signed off on the paperwork himself. Good riddance to them if they couldn't learn to accept people for who they are, if they couldn't accept protecting innocent Downworlders was part of their job.

But he hadn't realized it was so unusual, or noticed.

Max continued, "But what was really interesting was that the requests to be placed at the New York Institute were even higher – four times higher than specific requests for other institutes."

Alec's head snapped up.

He also approved the paperwork for incoming transfers, and recently when an opening came up had chosen between several options. He hadn't realized that was unusual, either.

Jace snorted. "Not surprised. Alec's like a magnet. He repulses people with no work ethic and attracts overachieving perfectionists to himself."

Izzy added, "And there's more open-minded Shadowhunters than we realized. People who want to be able to protect Downworlders who are just living their lives rather than always hassling them. The bad eggs are leaving and the good ones are coming to us now, rather than us having to search for them."

Alec's mind was generally a pretty sturdy place, but it was reeling a little at this conversation.

Magnus smiled gently. "You didn't realize, did you, Alexander? You're building your own legion. Or rather, you're attracting one."

Izzy nodded. "There are some different factions coming in with different goals, but they all work together well. It's becoming a harmonious place, compared to the contentious old-school boys club it used to be."

Alec had been aware there had been no recent fights among the staff of late. More demons banished or killed and less arrests for petty crimes by Downworlders. Punctuality and engagement was up, ideas were flowing in multiple directions, and no one had to be scheduled on different shifts to avoid arguments. He had been making small changes here and there to put together a more ideal team, but hadn't stepped back to see that it was working.

Izzy shook her head. "Why do you look surprised, big brother? We all pay attention to you. Even when you thought you didn't have a voice, Jace and I were listening. Now everyone else is, too."

Jace grinned and spoke directly to their mother, "You should see him out in the field now. Underhill started this little group, they call themselves the King's Guard. If Izzy and I aren't with Alec, they move freaking heaven and earth to make sure they're assigned. Last time we had a big battle – must've been at least three or four dozen Shadowhunters fighting that pack of demons along the riverfront two weeks ago – they literally formed a ring around him like he was some feudal lord. It was awesome."

Alec had thought they were just forming up because he was the only archer and could take out more targets if he had the freedom to stick to his bow.

He wasn't sure how he felt about this.

"I'm not trying to raise an army."

"Aren't you?" Luke asked, brows raised. "Because it kind of seems like you are."

"Of course not. I'm just doing my job."

"Fair enough, but your job kind of is to maintain an army. You just got dealt a shitty one and had to shape it up first."

"Luke's not trying to say you'd go against the Clave," Izzy interjected, putting Alec's unrealized fears into words. "But you are the commanding officer of almost four hundred troops. It makes sense you want them to be a cohesive team. And there's nothing wrong with drawing a power base to yourself. It's good politics."

He knew that. But it felt dangerous, in these terms.

She rolled her eyes at him. "We all know you're not doing it specifically to build a power base, Alec. More because you're a softie at heart."

"How can you call me an effective general and then call me a softie?" He tried to decide if he was offended.

"Don't forget I was covering for you when you were at the hospital with Magnus," she warned.

Problem was, he wasn't sure what she was warning him against, and stupidly said, "What could you possibly have found? You sound like you're blackmailing me."

Her eyes narrowed. "The wolves, Alec. I found out about the wolves."

Whoops.

He ate some spaghetti.

Luke, of course, could not let that go. "Wolves?" He said, tone scary-polite.

Alec shrugged as Magnus found something very interesting on the wall behind Jace.

Gracefully shifting conversational topics was clearly not among their shared attributes.

Luke looked at Izzy.

"There were a handful of wolves that weren't at the Jade Wolf when everything went down, and a few more who were but who were pushed out when the fighting started. The youngest, the ones who aren't true fighters by nature. And a few lone wolves I didn't realize were existing under the radar, outside the pack. They found each other after…" she paused.

"After the slaughter at the Jade Wolf," Luke prompted, cold.

"Yes. After the slaughter at the Jade Wolf. They found each other and some awful-sounding wolf found them and was trying to take over, start his own pack, force them all into roles they did not want. But somehow Alec found them."

Alec shrugged again.

Everyone looked at him.

He ate more spaghetti.

Izzy prompted, "It's your turn to add to the conversation now, Alec. That's how conversations work."

"I didn't realize this was a conversation, it sounded more like an inquisition," he shot back.

Sighed into the silence.

"It wasn't a big deal. I pay attention, it's my job. I knew there were some non-fighters in the pack, didn't see the one or two I'd talked to before listed in the reports of the dead from the Jade Wolf, so I went looking to make sure they were ok."

Luke looked pained. "I assumed they fled. Were in other cities."

Alec looked up finally. "Home is hard to leave."

"They weren't ok, I take it?" Luke asked.

"This guy Jeffery from Jersey was pushing them around, he had no place there, they didn't want him around. He sucked as a leader." Alec chose his words more carefully. "He's gone now."

"And the rest of the New York wolves?"

"I kept an eye on them while we waited to see if you'd get out of jail or Maia would step up."

Luke's jaw twitched. "And now?"

Alec met his eyes. "I contacted the Praetor after a couple of weeks. It's one thing for me to watch out for them, but they needed a pack leader."

"From what I heard, they were all immensely grateful," Izzy said. "One of them called in when you were at the hospital with Magnus, worried you were hurt. They were concerned, willing to help."

Her attempt at diverting the conversation to the oddity of a lower-rung wolf calling to inquire about a Shadowhunter's well-being did not work.

Luke growled, "Did you talk to the Praetor about me?"

Alec gave up on his food and put back on the mantle of leader he had shucked earlier. He looked Luke in the eye. With no hesitation, he said, "Yes, I did."

"And why would you feel the need to do that, Alec?"

"Because you and I are leaders," Alec snapped. "Because indulging yourself with the self-punishment of a prison is only hurting the rest of the wolves more. Sitting quietly in a box for the rest of your life helps nothing. I don't happen to think that you need to atone for choosing Clary over pack, but let's say you do. Shouldn't you be actively working to make the rest of the pack's lives better instead of sitting on your ass in self-pity?"

Clary made a noise of discomfort at the harsh words, but Maryse only glanced at Luke while sipping her wine. "You did push him into speaking honestly, Lucien. And he is not wrong."

Magnus murmured to himself, "Blow up the very ground you stand on…"

Luke sat back, digesting the words and staring into nothing.

Jace asked, "That can't be what you're doing Wednesday. You wouldn't bring Madzie to a pack meeting."

Max rolled his eyes. "You're going about this totally the wrong way." He shifted his gaze. "Madzie, what if I come get you for the bookstore party? Can I come with you on Wednesday night and take you from there?"

Madzie was a smart kid but not aware Wednesday night was a secret. "I don't think you'd want to be at a warlock party, Max."

Magnus gave an affected, nervous laugh. "That's right, it's just a warlock party."

Madzie nodded. "We're choosing the new high warlock."

Alec did not like where this was going.

"Lorenzo is out?" Maryse asked in surprise.

"Alec got him kicked out," Madzie said with great satisfaction.

A still pause hit the room.

Izzy started to speak but Magnus talked over her. "Good thing the high warlock job is really more social than actual government. Going without for a week or two would be way worse in the Shadowhunter world."

Alec cursed inside his head. For a centuries-old genius, his boyfriend was the worst liar he knew.

The question came from Jace.

"Madzie. Who is the current High Warlock of Brooklyn?"

Alec sighed.


End file.
